Voice typing that works in every app
Mac's built-in dictation struggles with many popular apps. Just Parley works everywhere — hold a key, speak, and your words appear instantly.
I've finished testing the new dictation model. Ready for your review whenever you're free.
Awesome work. Can you share a quick summary in Slack so I can read it before our meeting tomorrow?
How it works
Same simple flow, no matter what app you're in.
Click into any text field
Hold your hotkey and speak
Release — text is pasted instantly
Features
Built for people who type a lot
Whether you're writing emails, messages, docs, or code comments — speaking is faster than typing.
Sits in your menu bar / system tray
No app to open. No window to find. Just Parley lives quietly in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows), always one hotkey away. It stays out of your way until you need it.
Sits in your menu bar / system tray
Completely offline
Your voice never leaves your computer. No cloud processing, no accounts, no data collection. The speech model runs entirely on your machine.
Completely offline
Data sent to the cloud
Five languages, auto-detect
English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Cantonese. Pick one or let the app detect the language automatically as you speak.
Works everywhere
Any text field, any app. Emails, Slack messages, Google Docs, code editors, search bars — if you can type in it, Just Parley can type in it for you.
Works in your favourite apps
Supported apps
62+ apps
Chat & Everyday Apps
Code Editors & Dev Tools
Enterprise & Business
“I work with a team of AI agents every day — ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor. Typing was becoming the weak link. I was spending more time on prompts than on actual problems, and I needed to change the way I was working. The dictation tools out there either sent my audio to the cloud, charged monthly, or both. I wanted something that ran entirely on my machine and just worked. So I built it — and just like the research says, my productivity went up 3x.”
Compare
How we stack up
Paid dictation apps compared. Only the features that matter.
Just Parley | Superwhisper | Wispr Flow | MacWhisper | Voibe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $8.49/mo | $15/mo | $79.99 once | $49.99 once |
| Offline | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ Cloud | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works in all apps | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ Transcription only | ✓ |
| English | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 中文 Chinese | ✓ | Weak | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| 日本語 Japanese | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| 한국어 Korean | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| 粵語 Cantonese | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Privacy | 100% on-device | On-device | Cloud processed | On-device | On-device |
What about Apple's built-in Dictation?
Apple Dictation is free and works well for basic use — but it has limits. It doesn't work in Electron apps like Slack, Discord, or VS Code. On Intel Macs, your audio is sent to Apple's servers. And accuracy for Chinese, Japanese, and Cantonese varies significantly. If you dictate in English occasionally, Apple's option is fine. If you type a lot, work across multiple languages, or care about privacy on every Mac, Just Parley fills the gap.
FAQ
Common questions
What languages are supported?
English, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, and Cantonese. You can pick one or set it to auto-detect.
Does it need an internet connection?
No. The speech recognition model runs entirely on your computer. Your audio is never sent anywhere — not to us, not to anyone.
Which devices are supported?
macOS 13 (Ventura) or later (Apple Silicon and Intel). Windows 10 or later.
Is it a subscription?
Just Parley is completely free. No subscription, no signup, no card. Donations are welcome if you want to support development, but they're never required.
How accurate is it?
Just Parley uses SenseVoice, a state-of-the-art speech recognition model. It handles natural speech, punctuation, and multiple languages well — and it's getting better with each update.
Can I change the hotkey?
Yes — the app asks you to pick your key on first launch (default: Right ⌘ on Mac, Right Ctrl on Windows). Caps Lock, modifier keys, F1–F12, and even the 한자/変換 keys on Korean and Japanese keyboards all work.
Can it record my meetings?
Yes. Parley records your microphone and the other participants (system audio) in any meeting app, transcribes live, and writes notes when you stop — all offline. On macOS 14.4+ it asks once for the System Audio Recording permission.
Is speaker identification private?
Yes. Voices are clustered entirely on your device using small local models (~40 MB, downloaded once). Speakers are labeled Speaker 1, 2, 3 and you can rename them on the review page. No voiceprints leave your computer.
Do I need Ollama?
Only for AI meeting notes, and it's optional. Ollama is a free app that runs AI models locally — with it, Parley writes a summary, decisions, and action items. Without it, you still get the full transcript.